‘Nowhere near’ – Steven Gerrard confirms Leeds bid for Kent has been rejected
Ryan Kent has looked sharp for Rangers this season and has already scored two goals.
Speculation about his future was whipped up this week, however, after it was reported that Leeds had made a ‘shock’ £10m bid for the winger.
The fact that a bid had been put in by Leeds was confirmed by Steven Gerrard in his pre-match press conference on Friday.
He didn’t say how much the bid was for but did say it had been rejected “quickly” and that it was “nowhere near his valuation”.
Scottish journalist Raman Bhardwaj claimed later on Friday that the Leeds bid was actually £8.5m with “significant” add-ons.
Losing Kent would be big blow
We don’t know exactly how much the bid was for but we do know that Bhardwaj is a good source of Scottish information. And we also know that £8.5m is a derisory offer for Kent, no-matter how you dress up the add-ons.
The worrying thing from our perspective is that Gerrard’s comments, while as straight and honest as usual, stopped short of delivering a robust hands-off.
He did say Rangers don’t want to lose him but added that Leeds would “need to really think hard if they want to come in again”.
We know that Rangers will probably have to sell if the right offer comes in but losing Kent would be a huge blow to a really important season.
Stoping 10-in-a-row is paramount and Gerrard’s reputation is on the line.
If we could keep hold of Kent and either keep or replace Morelos with a similar calibre of player we’d be confident that Rangers can win the Premiership.
If Rangers lose key players now, even though the window is still open, it’s going to leave Gerrard’s plans in tatters.
With the window open way beyond the end of the season, it’s going to be a nervy time for Rangers fans.
The news that Leeds are merely “considering” a second bid [The Athletic] gives us hope that they’re not going to go much beyond their initial offer and that should leave it easy for Rangers to knock back.
We certainly hope that’s the case.
In other Rangers news, Ibrox View: Sheffield United ace would be clever addition to Rangers midfield